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Texans To Sign OL Rashaad Coward

August 8th, 2023 at 9:09am CST by Adam La Rose

Continuing to deal with injury problems along the offensive line, the Texans are adding further depth. Rashaad Coward is headed to Houston after working out with the team and signing a deal, reports Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.

Tytus Howard is dealing with a broken hand and faces the possibility of missing regular season time as a result. The team’s tackle depth was worsened further when Greg Little was placed on IR due to a back injury, and Charlie Heck is currently sidelined as well. Aside from veteran George Fant, who was signed as a high-end insurance policy and will start in place of Howard if needed, the Texans were short on bodies at the tackle spot.

Coward has seen time at right tackle dating back to when he was with the Bears. He could thus be used as an emergency option behind Fant on the depth chart, but he has more experience on the interior. Coward was used at right guard during the 2019 season, where he saw 10 of his 18 career starts.

The 28-year-old split his time between right tackle and left guard the following year, then signed with the Steelers. Coward was on the field for only two snaps on offense, however, and he joined the Cardinals last offseason. He did not survive the team’s final roster cuts, but was immediately signed to their practice squad. The former UDFA did wind up making four appearances in Arizona, though, including three starts at left guard.

Coward has earned poor PFF evaluations in each of his seasons with notable playing time, so Houston will be eyeing him strictly as a versatile backup. Given the injuries the team is dealing with at tackle (and along the interior with veteran center Scott Quessenberry having suffered ACL and MCL tears), though, he could find himself in the lineup at some point. Spot-start duties would be nothing new to Coward, and operating in that role could help his free agent market come next offseason.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/23

August 7th, 2023 at 8:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: OL LaColby Tucker
  • Activated from active/PUP list: DL Calais Campbell
  • Waived: DL Matthew Gotel

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Placed on IR: DT Devonnsha Maxwell

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Waived: OL Trevor Reid

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: LB Jordan Ferguson

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Streveler is currently dealing with an injury, ESPN’s Dianna Russini tweets. The Jets used Streveler as their top backup QB to close last season, inserting him into a Week 16 game ahead of Joe Flacco. Streveler stuck around via reserve/futures contract in January. But the Jets have since traded for Aaron Rodgers and signed Tim Boyle, marking a new era at quarterback. With Zach Wilson still around, the team does not appear to have any room — potentially even on the practice squad — for Streveler, who has played for the Jets and Cardinals in a three-year NFL career.

Apke has been with Washington since being chosen in the 2018 fourth round. He re-signed with the team in 2022 and stayed via reserve/futures contract in January. A shoulder injury, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, will move Apke to IR, which will end his chances of playing a sixth season with the Commanders this year. Kalu started five games for the Titans last season, playing 494 defensive snaps. Over his first three seasons, Kalu had never cleared the 100-snap barrier on defense.

Schoonmaker suffered a foot injury, a plantar fascia tear, during his final year at Michigan. The Cowboys’ top post-Dalton Schultz tight end investment will aim to make a push for a regular role to begin the season.

The Dolphins made Blackman part of their UDFA class this year. The former Florida State starter spent six years in college, finishing up with Arkansas State. The Dolphins swapped out Teddy Bridgewater for Mike White this offseason, but Skylar Thompson has made a push to be Tua Tagovailoa‘s backup. Regardless of that competition’s outcome, Blackman’s ceiling appeared to be practice squad QB in Miami. But the Dolphins may be looking into outside help for that developmental role — provided the team plans on stashing a fourth passer on its taxi squad.

Texans Place T Greg Little On IR

August 7th, 2023 at 8:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Greg Little will not play for the Texans in 2023. The former second-round pick sustained a back injury, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets, that led to Houston moving him to IR.

The Ole Miss alum is undergoing more tests, per Wilson, but this transaction will prevent him from playing for the Texans this season. Midway through the offseason, Houston signed Little to a one-year, $1.1MM deal that came with $100K guaranteed. The tests revealing Little will be able to return at some point during the season would open the door to an injury settlement that allows him to play elsewhere this season, but for now, the ex-Panthers and Dolphins blocker is out of the picture.

This marks another setback for Little, whom the Panthers drafted 37th overall in 2019. Starting six games in two seasons with Carolina, Little was unable to break through with the team that selected him and has not found his footing as a lineup regular to date. The Dolphins acquired Little for a seventh-round pick in 2021, but an injury kept him off the field that year. Little, 25, also finished the 2020 season on IR.

Besieged by injuries last season, Miami used Little as a seven-game starter. Little played a career-high 528 offensive snaps, making it through a full regular season without missing time. Pro Football Focus, however, graded Little as the league’s worst tackle regular in 2022.

The Texans were not planning to use Little as a starter, given the investments they have made at this position this year, but the team is a bit thin at tackle without him. Right tackle Tytus Howard suffered a broken hand and has undergone surgery. The recently extended blocker’s Week 1 availability is in doubt. Signed months after Little’s commitment, George Fant now stands to move into position opposite Laremy Tunsil up front.

Texans’ Tytus Howard Undergoes Hand Surgery

August 7th, 2023 at 2:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

2:50pm: ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Howard is facing a recovery timeline of four to six weeks. The NFL’s regular season opener will take place exactly one month from today, so he will have a chance to be available for Houston’s Week 1 matchup. Especially with Fant in place as a fill-in, though, it would come as no surprise if the Texans were to proceed with caution with their newly-extended blocker.

1:21pm: Tytus Howard has a new Texans contract in place, but he will be absent from the team for an extended stretch. Houston’s starting right tackle underwent surgery on a broken hand today, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).

While declining to give a firm timeline on the topic of recovery, head coach DeMeco Ryans confirmed that Howard will be out for “a while.” That is obviously an unwelcomed development for both team and player, after the sides agreed to a three-year, $56MM extension less than two weeks ago. Howard is expected to be a mainstay on the Texans’ offensive line for the foreseeable future.

The 27-year-old is on the books along with blindside protector Laremy Tunsil to form the league’s most expensive tackle tandem. As part of Houston’s numerous investments up front this offseason, though, they do have experienced insurance in place. Veteran George Fant – who inked a one-year contract recently – will fill in for Howard while he is out. Fant has 83 games and 60 starts to his name.

With Charlie Heck currently on the PUP list and Howard now sidelined, plenty of attention will be on Fant to hold down the RT role. If Howard is able to return in time for the start of the regular season, the former Seahawk and Jet will return to backup duties. If not, though, Fant will be able to add considerably to his 2023 earnings. His deal with a base value of $2MM includes another $1MM in playtime incentives, as detailed by Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 (Twitter link).

Howard, meanwhile, will look to recover as soon as possible to begin his play after signing a top-five right tackle deal. Building off his success from last season would prove the team’s investment to be worthwhile, while also helping ensure his long-term future with the Texans. Wilson tweets that the Alabama State’s extension includes $1.8MM in guarantees for his 2025 base salary of $15.5MM.

With the first two years of the pact guaranteed in full, expectations will be high for Howard when he returns. Today’s news marks a setback and the first major injury news since his rookie season, though with Fant in place the team is well-positioned to handle any potential extended absence.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/23

August 6th, 2023 at 8:29pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves as the weekend comes to a close:

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Andrews joins Philadelphia as a potentially strong depth piece on the offensive line. The seven-year veteran has played 48 games over the years with five different teams, so rejoining the Eagles, even with a new staff from when he left, shouldn’t be too big of an issue. Last year, he started five of the six games he played with the Saints.

Woolen underwent arthroscopic knee surgery back in May and was given a four-to-six-week recovery timeline. He was forced to start camp on the physically unable to perform list, but it’s time for him to make his way back to the field. Last year’s other starter at cornerback, Michael Jackson, has had a great camp and rookie Devon Witherspoon is pushing for a starting role, so Woolen will be glad to get back and reestablish his role in the secondary.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/23

August 4th, 2023 at 7:36pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves as we head into the weekend:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Removed from commissioner’s exempt list: OL Josh Sills

San Francisco 49ers

Sills was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list back in February when a grand jury indicted him on counts of rape and kidnapping. The charges stem from an event that allegedly took place back in December 2019. Today it was announced that Sills was acquitted of both charges, according to sources at The Athletic. The Eagles released a statement that, with his adjudication, he will return to the team’s active roster.

The 49ers announced that Johnson has been placed on season-ending injured reserve. They didn’t disclose the injury that will sideline the young edge they signed two months ago.

The Vikings are adding the XFL’s 2023 leading rusher in Smith. Smith had 791 rushing yards in 10 games last year.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/3/23

August 3rd, 2023 at 9:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Thursday’s minor moves:

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: LB Austin Ajiake

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Placed on IR: RB Alfonzo Graham

Washington Commanders

Texans OL Scott Quessenberry Suffers ACL, MCL Tears

August 3rd, 2023 at 2:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

After Justin Britt hit the reserve/NFI list last season, the Texans called on Scott Quessenberry to fill in at center. Quessenberry did, starting 16 games. The team will not be able to use the veteran as a stopgap center this season.

Quessenberry suffered ACL and MCL tears during a Texans practice, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports (on Twitter). The Texans had re-signed Quessenberry just before free agency this year.

This development may prevent the Texans from delaying second-round pick Juice Scruggs‘ starting lineup entrance. Scruggs had been working as the Texans’ second-team center thus far during training camp, but the Penn State product stands to be the next man up as a result of this Quessenberry setback.

Scott Quessenberry is the third Quessenberry brother to play for the Texans, following David and Paul. Scott, 28, is a sixth-year veteran who spent the first four seasons of his career with the Chargers. Scruggs loomed as a clear candidate to usurp him this year, but even when that inevitably happened, the elder blocker would have represented depth. This deals a blow to the Texans in that department.

Houston does have another veteran option in the form of Michael Deiter. The former Dolphin has 57 appearances and 23 starts to his name, but he alternated between heavy usage and barely seeing the field on offense during his four years in Miami. Deiter played sparingly and only on special teams in 2022, meaning he is likely not a threat for Scruggs with respect to the latter seeing starter’s snaps from Day 1.

Plenty of time remains for the Texans’ incumbent interior O-line options to earn their roles over the remainder of the offseason, but a free agent addition could be possible as well. Houston currently has $13.3MM in cap space, meaning they could afford to take a flier on one of the few veterans still on the market with experience in the middle. In any event, the team will be shorthanded up front for the season while Quessenberry looks to rehab in advance of next year’s free agency.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Texans, CB Steven Nelson Agree On Reworked Contract

August 3rd, 2023 at 2:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Higher-profile contract situations have overshadowed Steven Nelson‘s in Houston, but the veteran cornerback had both changed agents and skipped voluntary offseason activities. The veteran cornerback and the Texans reached a resolution Thursday.

Nelson agreed to terms on a revised deal that ups his max earnings in 2023, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. It is unclear what incentives are present, but Wilson notes Nelson’s max earnings will bump from $4.5MM to $6.5MM for the 2023 season. This comes not long after a report indicated the parties had discussed this contract.

Formerly with the Chiefs, Steelers and Eagles, Nelson signed a two-year, $9MM contract with the Texans in 2022. It does not sound like any years have been added to Nelson’s deal, keeping him on track to play out a contract year in 2023. But this does appear to bring this low-key standoff to a close. Nelson had reported to minicamp and training camp, though the ninth-year veteran also made a reference to his dispute with GM Nick Caserio in an Instagram post earlier this offseason.

Despite Nelson being signed to play in Lovie Smith‘s system, DeMeco Ryans plans to keep him around for his first season as Houston HC. It would have cost the Texans $1.75MM in dead money by releasing Nelson, though the move would have also come with nearly $4MM in cap savings.

Nelson, 30, started 15 games for the Texans last season. The former Kansas City third-round pick has made 99 career starts, having worked as both a boundary and slot defender. The 5-foot-10 cover man has settled in as an outside corner and has done fairly well in earnings beyond his rookie contract. Nelson signed a three-year, $27MM Steelers deal in 2019; he played two years on that contract. If Nelson plays out his Texans deal this season, he will surpass $30MM in career earnings.

Houston has Derek Stingley in place as its cornerback centerpiece, with veteran Desmond King entering his second year with the team as well. The Texans did sign Jaguars castoff Shaquill Griffin in May, bringing in some depth. The team also re-signed backup/special-teamer Tavierre Thomas this offseason.

Texans Sign TE Nick Vannett

August 2nd, 2023 at 8:48pm CST by Ely Allen

As Houston continues to deal with injuries to their tight ends room, they’ve enlisted further depth, signing veteran tight end Nick Vannett after a successful workout, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Vannett joins former Patriots tight end Dalton Keene, signed earlier this week, as new additions to the help solidify the position through training camp.

The top three tight ends on the Texans’ depth chart are currently dealing with injuries in camp. Schultz was recently sidelined after a collision with another newcomer to the team, safety Jimmie Ward. Head coach DeMeco Ryans claims that Schultz should be fine, though. Third-year tight end Brevin Jordan is dealing with a strained hamstring. Expected to take on a leading role at the position last year, Jordan disappointingly fell short of his rookie production. Health has continued to be an issue in his young career as he has missed 14 games over his first two years in the league. Second-year player Teagan Quitoriano, the team’s primary blocking tight end, is currently on the physically unable to perform list as he deals with a pulled quadriceps injury.

Vannett and Keene join a healthy group that includes veteran journeyman Eric Tomlinson, Mason Schreck, and undrafted rookie Jordan Murray. All three have typically been used in blocking and special teams roles throughout their careers. Murray had some receiving success at the FCS level at Missouri State but didn’t make much of an impact after transferring to Hawai’i last year. Tomlinson and Schreck on the other hand have both had many years of work at the NFL level without establishing reputations as pass catchers.

While Schultz will be the obvious TE1 upon his return from injury, Jordan’s step back last year puts him in a precarious situation going into Year 3. If he can’t find a way to stay on the field and take the next step forward in his development, it could open the door for Vannett or Keene to establish a more permanent role in Houston than just camp bodies.

Vannett’s best season has only seen him catch 29 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns, but that still exceeds Jordan’s greatest contributions thus far. And, while Keene didn’t make much of an impact as a third-round rookie in New England, he had a bit of a reputation as a redzone target at Virginia Tech in college. If Jordan leaves the door open wide enough in training camp, he may find himself in a battle for a roster spot.

For now, though, Vannett and Keene will fulfill their roles as camp bodies at a position that has been overcome by injuries. While rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud may not be able to establish early connections with the tight ends he’ll be relying on in the regular season, Vannett and Keene will work to make sure that their absences don’t affect Stroud’s rookie camp development.

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